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Ever feel that way? My second complaint in 5 weeks of delivering garden produce. I guess maybe that if I look at the odds then I'm doing ok but it still kinda gets to me. The learning curve that planning, planting and delivering a CSA entails is mind boggling. 25 weeks of an abundance and variety of produce to fill a basket each and every week. Who knew I was capable of such a task. Oh wait, I guess I'm not quite meeting the expectations since I've now had two complaints about the size of my baskets. Well let the learning curve continue I guess, 20 weeks to go which leaves tons of room for more work and lots of progress. Yet I'm 5 weeks into it and I was pretty proud of myself yesterday. I mean sure with the way the spring went the baskets are a bit on the small side but things are picking up speed. Next year I'm definitely charing more for the season. I work way too hard and get paid way too little to listen to complaints about how I must not be working hard enough. Boy. As if. The problem with not knowing is ya just don't know. (logic for ya)

I'm kinda in a slump I guess. Being disappointed over that dude doesn't help nothing either. Another one bites the dust! Anyways. I need a vacation. Or a really nice date. Ha ha. I think I have a better chance at getting a weeks vacation than a decent date. I guess what I need to do is work harder and meet my customers expectations. :) (there was only a little bit of sarcasm in there) I swear sometimes looking back at my life is more humorous then watching a sitcom.

Did I tell you someone hacked into my gmail account and sent out spam? Or tried to. I guess the program recognized the attempt at spam and just shut down my email and account. Obviously I was able to get it back since I'm here but I lost my website and have yet to figure out how to get it back online. I was able to look at my log in history for gmail and discovered that the hacker is from Quebec, it gives me the dumbass's IP number, town it's located in and everything. Some people have way too much time on their hands.

It's spose to get up close to 90's today. Today is my official 'work in the garden' day. I think I'm going to find a bikini top and work in the garden in style. Get rid of some of these tan lines. What a thought. I don't think I'd have the nerve but it's funny to think about. I have more to plant, tons to weed and even more to water today.

After a weekend of no house chores I'm having a hard time getting back on track. (I don't know why I admit to that)

Week 5

Monday again. This is the 5th week of delivering garden produce to my CSA customers (it should be the 8th week but thanks to our wonderful wet weather here in the NW the garden was a little slow at starting). It's amazing thinking back to last Oct or so when I discovered what a CSA was to today 5 weeks into deliveries of my own CSA. I've got to tell you it has been one helluva trip too. 


This weeks challenge. Making strawberry and cherry preserves (which I was spose to do last week but never got out to get the pectin), clean off the dinning room table (it was my green house this year and starting seeds has come to an end), at least 4 days on my new cleaning routine (thanks to flylady.net my house is looking a little more kept) and brew some rootbeer for the kids (this is something I've yet to learn but have the kit waiting for a time when I feel very ambitious).   


Thinking of ambition I better get another cup of coffee and get my day started. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and tons of salad stuff to pick and get packed in the next hour or so. 


Have a good one!

Happily Independent...

I mean have a happy independence day! So yesterday I was reminded once again of the ONE thing on this farm I CAN NOT do alone. That's right only one thing. And that one thing has to be done every year. Which means all my self proclaimed independence flies out the window and I have to round up help. So far my help has been whoever I was dating at the time. he he. Break em in to the farming biz the right way. Maybe that's why they never come back. Hmmm... Anyways. Shearing the alpacas. That is the one task on this farm that I can't get done without help. Or atleast I just haven't figured out how yet. I'm sure one of these days I'll be doing something as far removed as shearing as possible and it'll hit me how to do it alone. Probably after they're already sheared so I'll forget before next year comes along.

I volunteered a friend and a guy I've been seeing to both come help out. Three bodies make quicker work of shearing than just two. I tend to do the brunt of the work considering I'm the only experienced person in the barn but with two extra helpers I don't end up hurting so much. Unfortunately the guy I was seeing stood me up (unfortunate for him I really hate flakyness [if you're going to back out of something, at the very least have the courtesy of calling and manning up to it] looks like I'm back at square one) so I only had one helper. Boy do I hurt this morning. Which does nothing more than remind me how much I hate flakyness. Yes I'm frustrated. :) Does it show?

To top off the frustration the local grocer was out of my favorite beer last night. Which means I better make a run to walmart before I get to working again today. Best thing about working hard is sitting down with a cold beer after I'm done. Well that's just my opinion. :)

We're going to tackle another alpaca today. Since I only had one helper and I'm reminded what a wuss I am cause after one I was too beat to do another, so we're going to try to get another done. The rest will have to wait for next weekend.

I'd post you some pictures but blogger is having fits today and isn't letting me. Maybe later it'll let me.

The only thing that stays the same is everything changes...

Do you know that country song? It fits me, or so it seems.

Last night I watched a TV series called 'Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment' I found it on netflix, which is all I watch these days. I was going to shut off the cable to save an extra $20/month but I get my cable from the phone company where I also get my internet and was told if I shut off the cable than I'd no longer get the $10 credit for the "package" which includes all three services so I'd only be saving $10/month. Which is still a bag of chicken food but the kids entertainment is worth more than a bag of chicken food so I kept the cable. Dora the Explorer lives on! Anyways... as I was saying...

I was watching a show last night, laying on the sofa in my underwear. Yup that's right, damn near half nude. (For those of you who missed it I use to have a "Renter" in the spare bedroom to bring in a little extra each month so my lounging around in my underwear days were over) The Renter unexpectedly moved out yesterday. I was given notice that July would be his last month (but some people can't seem to finish what they start) anyways. In the spirit of not freaking out about not having that expected rent this month I wasted no time in reclaiming the freedom of walking around in my underwear. And when my 8yr old came to get me in the middle of the night I didn't even bother to put on my pj bottoms. Ahhh the comfort of wearing notta (or next to notta)!!

I have to admit though I'm a little on edge about being cut short the rent this month. I was expecting next month to be 100% on my shoulders but I'm not prepared this month. Yet another challenge in the life of me to rise up to, face and overcome. This ain't nothin'. (another country song)

I guess I'm one month ahead of schedule. The plan with the spare room. You all might not find this as exciting as I do but it falls into the whole scheme of things for the farm. (no kidding right?) I've been having such a ball making stuff from the goat's milk, yogurt, buttermilk, cheese, etc and everyone has been loving all the goodies soooo much that I'm going to add those things onto my list for customers next garden season. But to sell all those things I have to have a license and in order to get that license I have to have a kitchen designated for those things (and all the other goodies I add onto the garden customers list) so I'm building a second kitchen.

Shoot kids are awake.. I better go make breakfast...

to be continued... (if I remember, which I might not, but then again I might)

uphill battle..

I don't remember keeping up with the house chores being so exhausting. I haven't come close to catching up after the last 5yrs of slacking off and procrastinating and ignoring and just plain not feeling like it. It'll take another week or two to catch up completely but I think the routine is starting to set in once again. A routine that I really haven't thought about since... well almost 5yrs ago (the day the ex got the final boot and I started the learning curve of doing it all myself).

Those of you women who keep house, kids and a husband and manage to blog regularly I have a ton of respect and awe for ya. I don't know how you do it. Honestly I wonder if instead of a husband I need a wife. :) I think I've mentioned it before. Someone to do the domestic stuff while I run the farm, but I wouldn't give up the mommy stuff, just the laundry, dishes, toilet cleaning, kitchen mopping, vacuuming, shampooing and dusting. Yea that's it, but I'll do the rest, kid care, cooking, dog shaving, gardening, livestock care, fencing, mending of buildings, etc. Though maybe the weed eating is something the wife could do. Anyways.

This morning I was talking to a friend and was about to go into depth about something... and instead told him I'd save it for the "sofa" (my blog is about the best therapist money could buy). But I think I'll save the really scary stuff. :) ha ha.

This weekends challenge is to shear the alpacas. I'm hoping to wrangle up a couple of hands to help but I don't know what the chances of getting good help is around here. It's way past due though and the weather is finally in season so it has to be done. I can't promise pictures considering I'll be doing the majority of the work but I'll try to take a couple before and after shots just to prove it got done. The joy of being the one in charge is I don't get the luxury of watching from a safe distance.

Oh yea, housekeeping is exhausting. Maybe it wouldn't be if I didn't have a garden to plant, water, weed and pick or livestock to feed, milk and herd, and kids to feed, clean and keep safe, but I do, so it is. Ah well I guess I'll get it figured out eventually.

All you multi-tasking women are my hero! Keep up the job well done!